Epiphanies

It's a Friday and I can't help but share some of my mid-day musings. 

• I want to do my own thing really soon. Being surrounded with all these inspiring individuals and characters is great and the learning is the best part, honestly! But I'm starting to find out for myself that sooner or later, I would have to strike out on my own and do something I'm completely obsessed and passionate about. I keep reading about entrepreneurs and inspirational personalities, how they started from nothing or from a completely different endeavor, and their journey towards what they're doing now - I can't help but want that journey for myself as well. It's highly idealistic, I know, but I think it would be the only way I can really feel at peace and content, at least career-wise. It pays to call something your own. Once you've created that something, it's out there in the world, it's a piece of you that you share with the Universe. I've been absorbing as much as I possibly can, but a girl can dream of someday building her own dream someday too, much like the CEO's and Founders of the multitudes of companies and empires, who all started with a vision and carried out their passion into execution, and eventually, success! 

• My love for writing will remain forever intact. Okay, given, I may have regressed, I may not have grown much over the past couple of months, and I may not have enough time to do it, but it doesn't mean that I've given up on it completely. Whether or not my material (case in point: this blog) is appreciated, or even read, I will keep writing. I will keep telling the world the little stories and ask the questions that flow through my mind on a daily basis. 

• Fashion and beauty is all about creativity and having fun! It's really about having a can-do attitude! Over the years, I have learned so much through self-education and getting inspiration from just about everywhere. I taught myself to put makeup on. I started at age 12 and I never really stopped. Thanks to my Mom, whose unending support (and good taste!) really helped boost my self-confidence and belief in myself. I'm not perfect. I have sporadic shopping episodes, and yes, while new purchases are exhilarating, for the most part, I only rely on my resources and come up with cute and creative ways to styling and mixing things up. One dress can make people think that you have tons of clothes in your closet, when really, all you did was change up your blazer or rock a different pair of shoes the next time you wear the dress. Just have fun with it. I rarely follow trends. Sure, I scour mood boards for inspiration, but at the end of the day, I'll pull out whatever makes me feel the best. 

• Creative outlets are your best friend. Without so much of a "life," I'm sure I'd go insane. The corporate environment can get pretty intense. Whenever I get to write and post something, I'm reminded that the skies are not always gray. Happier days are ahead, and even though I'm having a bad day, just being able to make someone else smile, it makes the world a much happier place to be in.

• Just because bad things happen, doesn't mean you're a bad person. Fate is unfair sometimes. We go through lots of difficult times, but these challenges shouldn't hold us back and bring us down. Nobody ever deserves misfortune and heartbreak. I believe in moving forward, having a good heart through it all, and believing that things will get better soon. 

There you go, some random thoughts on a Friday afternoon. Back to regular programming now. Watch out for product reviews, outfit posts (here on my blog), and a closet sale on my Instagram account: she_goesthrifty - proceeds of the sales will go to the affected areas and families of the storm surge, Yolanda.

Fancy Pansies

Hey! Ho! How's everyone doing? Gosh! I can't believe it took me weeks to get back here again! I've been crazy busy traveling all over the Philippines for work lately, I barely had even enough time to take a breather.

Writing can be such a release for me. Despite all the stress and worries that have been plaguing me, even in my dreams, I know that I can always go back to that one happy place, tie all my frustrations to my word balloons, and let them go. 

Life may have thrown in a few storms here and there, but I'm so glad to have a solid rock to rely on in times of tough winds. I'm grateful for the rain and for the silver linings that never fail to remind me never to wither away with troubles, but to grow through them, to become better despite them, and to inspire others to do the same.

Moved by the figurative winds, this outfit is something I wouldn't normally wear on a day-to-day basis. My mom got it for me from Mint. I was saving it for a special occasion, and that very moment came in the form of Sinulog Festival Queen in Cebu.

One of our brands sponsored in the event and we were fortunate enough to score VIP seats to see such an amazing show!

Basically, they search for the most beautiful and most graceful muse from among all the contingents in the current Sinulog Festival, to be the face of the whole festivities. It was just spectacular!

 Dress: Mint

Heels: Charles and Keith

Necklace: She Goes Thrifty

Meet my good friend from work, Liz! She took my pictures for this very post. Thanks, Liz! :)

We're just big goof balls, that's all!

Don't let the winds knock you down. Go with it, fight through it, whatever you do, let them take you where you want to be.

Check out these snapshots of the Sinulog Festival Queen! The first photo shows the 2-minute sampler performance of each contingent for the festival proper, along with their muse. The last two shots show two of the contestants vying for the title, as they dance along to the Sinulog, with the Santo Nino in their hands. Look at their elaborate dresses!

 

Happy weekend! :)

No Gray Area

We learn as we go along. This is one lesson I always took to heart. I know I'm not perfect, nobody is, but I can go back to that place to remind myself that things have to happen, words have to be said and accepted, and feelings have to get hurt along the way. All these will make me a better person. I may not understand them now, I may hate the universe for taking a wild swing at me from nowhere, I can curse fate all I want, but it's all part of God's great plan to bring me to where I need to be and to turn me into the person I need to become.

Without trials and tribulations, our lives would be just as humdrum and pointless. We're diamonds in the rough. Before we know it, we'll show the world the brilliance that has always been within us and not a dark cloud in our path can ever block our stellar.

Looking forward to brighter days. Always.

Top: Vintage | Pants: from the office | Shoes: MSE | Wallet from Davao | Necklace from Quiapo

This particular outfit was a result of one of those, I-have-absolutely-nothing-to-wear-so-I'll-just-throw-on-the-first-thing-I see. Ha ha!

I had gotten tired of wearing six-inch-heels to work everyday, so I whipped out these ultra-comfy wedges to add contrast (oh and I managed to squeeze in a little yellow and mustard accents to boot!) to my otherwise gray-scale palette.

You might also be asking why the pictures seem so orange? Ria, my new-found photography pal (and a new addition to our little family at work), was tinkering around with the Super Vivid setting of my camera. Lighting was pretty tricky that day too, so...

But in my humble opinion, these pictures can definitely speak for themselves. Ria has such a good eye and can capture the hell out of every moment!

The photos below are created with heaven-sent natural lighting (eventually, the sun did come out to play!) and with Ria's tricks up her sleeve. She'll have more mentions in this blog later on, you'll see. :)

Lakas maka-shampoo commercial ng shot above, don't you think? Ha ha!

Just remember, girls and boys, in life, there rarely are gray areas; oftentimes, there's just either/or OR neither/nor. It's all just a matter of perspective. Take every challenge as an opportunity to boost your yabang factor. Battle scars aside, you'll end up a victor in every battle, whether you lost the fight or not. Your wounds will prove how you've withstood the blows of fate and how you've emerged scathed yet soldiering on to greater and better heights.

Black and Blue All Over

 "Let the rain kiss you. 

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.

 Let the rain sing you a lullaby."

~ Langston Hughes

The weather has been anything but warm and sunny. It's early in January, yet it's as stormy as July. Odd, isn't it? If you're like me who's always been a summer kid (I was born in April, the peak of the summer season in the Philippines), you probably won't fancy the chilly breeze on days like what we've been having lately. Au contraire, there's something melancholic and beautiful about the rain. It makes me want to cozy up in my room with a nice book and a warm cup of hot dark chocolate with extra marshmallows. Like some senti person who watches the rain drops crawl through the glass outside, as if clinging on to dear life, hoping to find its place.

Oddly enough, that's what I've been feeling lately. I've been out of sorts, perhaps due to all the mayhem going on in one side of my otherwise humdrum life. I'm somewhat happy elsewhere. Okay, maybe not in the love department, but you get the point. Work has been anything but gentle. I just wish that life would play on like a well-rehearsed music video fit for the rainy days. Not even the wind can calm down the beast's heart, not even with its lethargic lullaby.

Enough of the poetry, on to the outfit, shall we go? Right, so one rainy Friday, a new teammate of mine, Ria, has agreed to take a walk outside the office, snap a few shots of me, grab coffee, and return to our reality as per usual. Thanks, Ria! :)

 Top: Forever 21

Jeans: Forever 21

Heels: Charles and Keith

Rosary Necklace from Quiapo Church

Soak in the out pour! Live every waking moment, no matter how depressing it may seem to be, remember that even the darkest clouds carry with them the brightest sunshine after all.

Not With a Fizzle But With a Bang!

Now that 2012 is on its tippy-toes and is about to walk out of our lives for good, I'd like to look back on how good this year has been.

Towards the end of 2011 until I graduated in April, it has been a rough road for me. I finished school officially in October and was hired for a writing post for an international TV station in Myanmar. 8 months later, I still haven't flown out due to technical difficulties in processing my papers. Mostly, it was the employer's mishap. So, long story short, that fell through. I was devastated because I was really hanging on to that job offer. I am a firm human rights advocate and I believe that by being a writer at a media station in one of the most human rights oppressive nations in the world, I can help make a difference in the lives of the people there.

I was lost. I got a few job offers here and there, but nothing seemed to really excite me. I started this blog as a result of my boredom and lack of mental and perhaps physical stimulation. I really enjoyed writing freely as it served as my outlet for most of my frustrations. See, I've always wanted to write, but it's something I never really saw myself pursuing as a career. It was and always has been that one love I will come home to every now and then. Perhaps I should just jump in and do it already. But more on that later.

So then, this opportunity to work in a corporate environment came along. I was blind to what the post entailed. Little did I know that shaking hands and signing a few documents could change and turn my life around.

I got my new car, Macho, late in 2011 but we never really got acquainted until this year. He's my prize for... Yup, graduating! Despite not making it to the cum laude level (due to a few point-something discrepancies), I'm still beyond grateful for finishing my degree in the one and only State U, nonetheless. It was my parents' dream come true. I know I was hesitant to go to the University of the Philippines, but I'm glad I did. I can't imagine learning from anything but the best.

Our family has been through a lot this year, but no matter what uphill battle we faced, we soldiered on, we surfaced and emerged victorious.

My job. We've been through a love-hate relationship. Sometimes I'm worn out beyond repair that I fail to appreciate what it really means to me. I've been fortunate to have been brought to places in the Philippines that I used to only dream of visiting. I've been lucky enough to meet many new friends from all over the country, to try new and exciting cuisines, to experience a bunch of adventures that I will forever treasure, and so much more.

She Goes Thrifty. 2012 has been such a big year for this blog. I started writing and keeping this up as an outlet for my fashion, beauty, and random musings. I can't ask for a more loving set of friends who always seem to read and appreciate what I get to write on this little parcel of personal heaven. I really hope to write better posts and showcase a whole lot more in the years to come. So to you who's reading this right now, my heartfelt thanks goes out to you. Without you, I cannot have possibly mustered enough courage to tell the world what's going on in my side of the planet, and eventually, to help out fellow girls on a budget to course through life one great deal at a time. :)

I can go on about what I'm grateful for in 2012, but it would take days before I even count the ways. It's been a hell of a ride, this year. I can't even contain my anticipation for what's to come in 2013. I bet it's going to be bigger and bolder, and it will help create a better me.

What are my hopes for 2013? I'm claiming it to be my career year. Hopefully, I'd have more time to write for you guys, more time to dress up and show you, more products to try and review (which reminds me, I have so much to tell youuu!), and just to go back to blogging again. I hope that blogging will be something that I can do alongside my day job. I'm just trying to find my stride, really, so please pardon my lack of updates. Anyway, I really plan to level up in the corporate ladder. Hopefully, a price increase awaits as well (who doesn't want extra moolah to spend for shopping?). I also wish that my family hits a more stable note this year. I hope to invest in a few things using my own hard-earned cash. I hope to be in love and loved back. I hope to visit more interesting places both here and abroad. There's just so much, really! All I know is, I'm stoked and looking forward to everything in 2013! Game face ON! ;)

Cheers to the year that was and to the year that will be!

Have fun celebrating 2012 and welcoming 2013, not with a fizzle, but with a bang! ;)

Love,

SGT :)